How to Have Complete Assurance That You Are Saved

If you are anything like me, there are still times in your life that you struggle with your own assurance of salvation. Certainly, to doubt the work of Christ on the cross would be wrong and even sinful. The Bible is clear that Jesus came into the world to save sinners and His death and resurrection were effective. But it is impossible to read the entire counsel of scripture and fail to see that there are many in the world who have deceived themselves in believing that they are truly saved. It was Jesus who made this clear by saying, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’  And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” - Matthew 7:21-23  

Paul instructed us in 2 Corinthians 13:5 to “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”

It is possible to fail the test. The people Jesus spoke of in Matthew 7 called Jesus, Lord. They prophesized, cast out demons, and did mighty works, all in His name. Yet, He called them “workers of lawlessness” and said he never knew them. These people will not enter into His eternal rest, He told them to depart from His presence. They failed the test.

So, this brings up the question, and it is of the utmost importance we find the answer, how do I know I am saved?

Sometimes the Bible just doesn’t quite seem to make it easy to understand some of the things of life. But the answer to this question is clear. The Apostle John has posed the question and given the clear answer in 1 John 2:3-6. Read what he says.

“And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.  Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:  whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”

How does he say we come to know Him? By keeping His commandments and by keeping His words. The blessed life of the true Christian is lived by being “In Christ”, and John tells us that we are “In Christ” because we walk “in the same way in which He [Jesus] walked.”

This is clear writing and easily understood. We can only have assurance of salvation by living a life committed to walking as Christ did, in complete obedience to God and His Word. Jesus, the Son, always did the will of the Father. It is through a committed life to the commandments of scripture, in which we will experience the fullness of joy, because in this, we know we are in Christ.

Does this mean our lives will be lived in perfection? No, it doesn’t. Obviously, John saw that presumption coming and squelched it in the verses just before he told us how to be sure we are in Christ.

1 John 2:1-2
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.  He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

We aren’t saved by our ability to follow His commandments. Praise God or I would be doomed, for I still struggle mightily. If you were honest, you would say the same. You see the standard by which we must judge ourselves, (Take a look at 1 Corinthians 11 for a study on this principle), is not each other, but Jesus. He is the gold standard. He is the goal. It is His walk and His walk alone, that we must seek.

I believe in the doctrine called the Perseverance of the Saints. I do not believe you can “lose” your salvation. But let’s not get hung up on that argument. We are called to persevere in our faith.

Hebrews 10:35-36
So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.  You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

We must persevere. It is the will of God that we must persevere in. This is our part in the salvation experience. We persevere by living a life that is committed to walking the same holy path Christ does.

Saved by grace, no question. But joy will come to us through a life committed to following Jesus. Faith without works is dead – James 2:14

God answered a prayer for me last week. He brought me to a place where I could see His grace. But He did it through pain. I leave you with a lengthy, but very important scripture. Take ahold of this principle and it will change your life.

Hebrews 12:5-17
 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.  For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”  It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?  If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.  Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?  For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.  For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.  Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,  and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.  Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.  See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;  that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.  For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

Unlike Esau, you still have the chance to repent. Take that opportunity today.